Friday, 2 May 2014

MiFinder- Who will you find today?

On Friday, I received an e-mail about a new social
networking app called MiFinder. The
software basically allows users to find other local people in their diverse
group and begin chatting online. I’ve got to be honest and say it sounded a lot
like Grindr (an app for gay men where you can pinpoint the location of
potential partners) but I soon realised it’s a lot less seedy. I thought are
disabled people really desperate to find friends who also have some sort of
impairment? At first, my answer was no as disabled people want to be part of
society and have a mixture of friends, able or not.

However, the CEO and Founder Gabriel Saclain said that the
app is not just about making friends, “meeting like-minded others is important
to share common experiences”. This reminded me that speaking and learning from
people who have faced similar difficulties is helpful. For one, you feel less
alone if someone else has faced a similar problem. Also, they might know a
useful piece of information. For example, I didn’t realise blue badge holders
could park free of charge for up to 3 hours in Drovers Way (multi-story car
park at the back of M&S in the city I live) until recently.

Knowledge being spread through word of mouth is key for a disabled
person. The council or government does not usually pass on the right
information to the correct people. Even when the local authority does want to
help, finding out what you wanted is not straightforward and often takes a long
time. That’s why informative websites about disability exist and is one of the
reasons I write this blog. I want people to learn and use any newfound
information in their lives. In a similar way, the MiFinder app allows knowledge to be shared but it is more 1 to 1
and the local aspect may be more helpful than reading the latest post
‘Wheelchair Boy’ moaning about access in St. Albans.

I’ve already downloaded the app on my iPad and would suggest
you do the same by visiting www.mifinderapp.com.
I know I’ve sort of sold it as a ‘make a disabled friend’ app but it’s not. MiFinder is predominantly about celebrating
diversity and building a community, which Gabriel in turn believes “can help
break down barriers”.